TV Restaurants

Is Republica Empanada Still Open? Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Update

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Season 28 Mesa, Arizona

Current status

Open

As of October 2026, Republica Empanada is open — confirmed via Yelp, July 2026.

What the source shows: Yelp (updated July 2026) and Tripadvisor (updated August 2026) both show current listings for this address, and Google Places lists the business as operational; the operator's own website shows stale 2017-dated content and was not relied on. How we decide a status →

What happened after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives visited República Empanada in Mesa on the Dec. 22, 2017 episode 'Mom's Kitchen,' spotlighting the kitchen's family recipes for South American-style savory empanadas. República Empanada is a pan-Latin bistro in downtown Mesa's Southside Heights neighborhood, at the corner of 1st Avenue and Hibbert Street, known for empanadas drawing on several Latin American regional traditions. A Yelp business page, updated in July 2026, and a Tripadvisor listing, updated in August 2026, both continue to carry current information for this location, and Google Places lists the business as operational as of a 2026-09-08 check.

The restaurant's own website still displays a 2017 copyright and was not used to establish current status on its own. Posted hours found through the July 2026 Yelp update list Monday-through-Friday service from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the restaurant closed Sundays.

The episode Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Season 28

Episode 1
Aired
Title: Mom's Kitchen · What was featured: South American-style savory empanadas from family recipes
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Before you go: Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.

Sources we checked 3 references

  1. Yelp https://www.yelp.com/biz/republica-empanada-mesa
  2. Tripadvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g31281-d4823082-Reviews-Republica_Empanada-Mesa_Arizona.html
  3. republicaempanada.com http://www.republicaempanada.com/
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Record ddd-1010 · checked by Cal Marchetti.